Willie Nelson's 94th Studio Album Is Better Than Most Any Country Album I've Heard In 10 Years

It should be nothing short of a crime that Willie Nelson’s 2010’s output wasn’t more appreciated. Last Man Standing and Ride Me Back Home are two of the greatest Country gems to grace the genre that I can remember, and I would argue that this period in Willie’s career is one of the most notable eras since his 1962 debut album. I don’t think the world has ever seen music written from the perspective that Willie is delivering right now. Fully aware that he has reached the last chapters of his life, Country’s greatest outlaw has been writing some of the most soulful music of his career. He’s writing songs about growing more alone as he grows older, clinging on to all the wild shenanigans of his life prior and jumping back and forth as to whether or not he’s got any regrets. It’s some of the most emotionally honest stuff I’ve ever heard, and it’s all wrapped in such a humble and touching package that I just can’t stay away from it. Willie really is a musician for the ages, a guy that’s said and done it all and continues to teach his listeners like a wise old grandfather passing on his wisdom. This latest iteration of this era of future Willie Nelson classics is no different, and it should be a testament to Willie’s talent that at 87 years old the term “future classics” still applies to his art.

Whereas Willie’s other recent efforts have mostly focused on him and his own life as it stands right now, this newest one focuses on a love story between the U.S.A.’s most famous outlaw and a girl he’s brought with him all across the country. It’s an extremely touching western love story told once again from the perspective of Willie as he approaches the latter end of his life. It’s a touching story and tribute to a woman I can only assume would be Willie’s fourth and current wife Annie D’Angelo, and it’s one that is so beautifully relatable to anybody who’s ever felt like Willie does. Even at it’s happiest moments, this record is nothing short of a tearjerker. Willie’s sentiments about escaping prison and other absurd escapades just to be with his wife are so heartwarmingly raw and relatable in a way that I don’t think any other artist Willie’s age has ever captured. While his last couple of albums wowed me so much because of the perspective delivered by the immensely wise lyrics, this one manages to offer yet another different view that we hadn’t gotten to this extent from Willie. Getting to hear his memory of the memories he’s made with the woman he loves, coming from a point in his life where that could be looked at as the good old days, is truly touching.

While the main thing that sets these new Willie Nelson records apart for me is the lyrical content, the music here is truly awesome as well. While I would say his last one left more of an overall impact on me, I think this one is probably the most musically interesting in terms of the melodies and instrumental performances. Willie’s guitar playing is incredible here, it really is. I found myself gawking at just how smooth, buttery and articulate his voicings and playing was. Willie manages to pour just as much passion, emotion and care into his fretwork as he does his vocals and songwriting, which not only is a testament to his skills on the 6 string but also to just how much effort he’s putting into this material. Old age has not slowed Willie Nelson’s creative endeavors down in the slightest, as his playing and singing is just as nimble as anything else he’s ever done. He truly is such a remarkable musician, and I can only hope that when I’m his age I will continue to put this much thought and effort into leaving the world behind with as much of an impact as he is. If there’s any bigger picture to be taken from just how great this and all his other new records are, it’s that it’s never too late to do something incredible. You’ve never run out of time to give something you care about everything you have. Willie Nelson is walking proof of that.

While I definitely loved this one, I would say that when looking at it through a purely critical lens it doesn’t distinguish itself too wildly from his last few efforts. I mean that solely in regards to the music itself though, as like I said earlier on the touching love stories Willie croons on this album are like nothing I’ve heard before. I’ll be totally honest though, I’m mostly just trying to think of any reason to critique this thing in the slightest. There really isn’t much I can say other than a small handful of the songs that stray front he album’s concept didn’t stick with me as much as the highlights. I guess if the album was trimmed by one or two songs to keep the actual story going in a more streamlined fashion I wouldn’t complain. However, I’m always more than happy to hear anything Willie Nelson is putting out these days. I guess it should just go to show how incredible this is when Willie is 87 years old and 94 studio albums deep, yet I still can’t find anything to complain about at all. The man is an absolute legend.

While he may not be getting as much attention from the music industry as he deserves right now, I would argue that his musical career is experiencing a second golden age and this album is no exception. I’ve still got to back and listen to God’s Problem Child, but out of the other new Willie Nelson releases I’d probably say this is my second favorite. That’s a very high accolade considering this era of his career is something I have been parading around and praising since I first discovered Last Man Standing. Keep in mind this coming from somebody who struggles to even force himself to listen to Country music, too. Not that I hate it all, but it really takes a special Country album to make me really rant and rave about it. If there’s anybody who can consistently tug my heartstrings and get me invested in a Country record though, it’s Willie Nelson. First Rose of Spring is yet another album from the 87 year old Willie Nelson that just blew me away. I can honestly say that even if Willie’s 2017 onward output was the only thing he ever made, he would still be my favorite Country artist of all time. It’s incredible to me that he’s still coming up with such emotionally touching and musically interesting music all these years and albums later, but he is. Give this a spin and listen to everything Willie has to say, you won’t regret it. - 8.6/10 (Best Songs - I’ll Break Out Again, I’m the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised, Love Just Laughed)